German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA)

DEHOGA (the acronym stands for Deutscher Hotel- und Gaststättenverband) is an organization that since its foundation in 1949 has represented the economical, social and professional interests of the entire HORECA industry – ranging from luxury hotels to snackbars and canteens – in Germany.

With about 63,000 – voluntary – members DEHOGA can avail itself of the intensive support in terms of finance, knowledge and contacts of a large share of this major industry that comprises 224,000 companies with an annual overall turn-over of 69,6 billion euros and a workforce of 1,8 million. On the regional level the member associations of the DEHOGA are responsible for the representation of the interests of the hotels and restaurants in Germany. Specialized units of the DEHOGA are in charge of public relations, taxes, legal matters, European affairs, copyright questions, ecological management, vocational training, labour market, market research and statistics.

From a more global point of view DEHOGA is subdivided into 17 regional associations which again have their own organizational infrastructure reaching down to the local level. There are two professional associations within the DEHOGA – the International Hotel Association (IHA) and the UNIPAS (union of the tenants of restaurants alongside motorways) – as well as the five specialized divisions of the DEHOGA – system catering trade, community catering trade, catering trade inside railway stations, catering and the German association of discotheques.